148 BOTANts 



MEDICINAL PLANTS, 



The Provinces are rich in medicinal plants, both in 

 number and quality. Lindley's Flora Medica contains 

 descriptions of all the known medicinal plants in the 

 world, and more than a tithe of the whole number may 

 be seen growing on the Tenasserim coast. Were we de- 

 prived of European drugs, and left to our own resources, 

 we could find good substitutes for almost every article in 

 the Medical Flora. 



Besides those to which separate paragraphs have been 

 allotted, the bark root of the red cotton tree, and the foots 

 of the clitoria are emetic ; and the root of Tylophora vomi- 

 toria has been pronounced by Indian practitioners not 

 inferior to ipecacuanha for any of the purposes to which 

 that medicine is applied. Cassia fistula pods, the chebula 

 fruit, the root of the heart seed, the seeds of the sapodilla, 

 Otaheite gooseberry, and physic nut are aperient or pur- 

 gative. The gum of the white cotton tree, the bark of 

 \Vrightia antidy sent erica, and the peel of the mangosteen 

 are prescribed in bowel complaints. The green fruit of 

 the papaya, the root ol the Persian lilac, and the fruit of 

 the Rangoon creeper are vermifuges. The bitter roots 

 of Sida acuta, and Tephroia purpurea, and the seeds of 

 the musk-mallow or musk plant, are deemed cordial and 

 stomachic, and the bark of Guilandina Bonduc, is con- 

 sidered a good substitute for cinchona where that cannot 

 be had. The decocted leaves of the goat* footed ipomo3 a 

 are used as an external application in cholic. The leaves 

 of Vitex trifolia are applied in diseases of the spleen. 

 The bark of the white plumbago root will raise a blister, it 

 is said, almost as quickly as cantharides. 



The oil of the cashew nut " has been used successfully 

 in eating off ring-worms, cancerous ulcers and corns/' 

 The mango tree exudes a large quantity of gum-resin 

 resembling bdellium, and our indigenous pine can furnish 

 any quantity of turpentine. The bark of the root, the 

 leaves, and the fruit of the Bengal quince, are as popular 



